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Friday, December 2, 2011

RUFF building new facilities for dogs left behind

I came across Rescued Unwanted Furry Friends (RUFF) Rescue several months ago when starting SeniorPooch.com. After extensive review of their website and seeing all the good that director, Janice Brooks, and her staff of volunteers are doing, I wanted to do something to help get the word out. In particular, I wanted to call out all of the good they've been doing in spite of an uphill battle with a lack of funding since the Gulf Oil Spill.

I've researched a lot of worthy organizations that provide valuable services to our aging canine population and decided that the RUFF Rescue is the first such organization to receive the SeniorPooch Golden Rescue Award for its efforts.

Ruff has saved over 2,200 dogs since its founding back in 2004 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, many of which found their way there from deployed military and senior citizens who were not allowed to bring their canine companions to their nursing homes.

Prior to the oil spill, Janice housed close to 200 dogs at a tiime. Now there are less than 50 (roughly 47 at last count), most of whom are older. She says, "We are trying to keep the local pound away by keeping doors open but not going to make it without help quickly. Since the dogs are mostly over five, they will not be given a chance for a home at the local pound and will be put down immediately."

Even so, with these challenges before her, Janice and team have not given up on her dogs, and recently came upon a creative solution to her dilemma. "I have found a way to save all of them if I can move them to a country location about 100 miles from where they are now." That said, there is still construction to be had in order to enclose an additional building and pour a concrete foundation.

This is where we can help. I've already expressed how great a feeling it is to have saved one old dog. What about 47?

Take a look at the Ruff Rescue's website and see what a difference she's making first hand and help by throwing a couple of bucks in her direction to help keep the lights on long enough to get her dogs moved to the new location. Ideally it could be a few dollars a month, even the cost of one or two Starbucks coffees would help defer what Janice describes as "those pesky utilit[y]" bills that just keep coming month after month. Check out the videos of how happy her dogs are playing on her website to recognize how great it would be to allow her to make a difference in the life of a few more pups of various shapes, sizes, and ages.

I'd like to thank Janice for providing me with some great details on where she plans on taking RUFF as well as the photo of the new facility, even as it is undergoing renovation.

There are plenty of other ways that you can help, including volunteering or adopting one of her dogs, but her priority now is to save as many of them as possible, and the new facility is the best way, so checking out the donation link on Ruff's website is the quickest way to help, so that together we can be that foundation that RUFF's dogs need.